Shes alson one of the most hated characters on the show fans criticize her for always being angry and for her blind hatred of all those super hot vampires who have emotionally traumatized her in the past. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". His dad is even more of a nerd then he, but fails to realize it. In. Tara and Lafayette (who is gay and black, so he gets the, This is almost a subversion, as Tara not only gets substantial characterization, but her own, season-long plot arcs that sometimes barely intersect sookie's at all. Oprah's producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it. This trope aims to humanize black girls and reject previous stereotypes Issa Rae popularized the term awkward black girls usually have a background in middle-class white neighbourhoods awkwardness is a coping/assimilating mechanism different from the black best friend trope which is just there to boost white characters These experiences made him a more down-to-earth, intellectual Green Lantern than his predecessors, but were all forgotten post-Emerald Twilight when they basically made him his cartoon counterpart. She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. Oops. (Unless there's the occasional situation of either having a problem with her race or her relationship with you.) What's the best way to show it? But studios continue to balk at women-led films (see: the leaked Sony emails about why female superhero movies are a terrible idea for a particularly potent example). Worst of all they could sometimes be forgettable because the spotlight isnt on them at the end of the day. representation matters and people of color shouldnt feel as if they arent While diversity is becoming more prominent through Hollywood Films, there are many evident stereotypes for African Americans in film. In addition, black people in Real Life should definitely not be listed. I treat them just like everyone else.". In fact, thanks to the telling of their struggles gets a swanky reporting job in New York by the end and, of course, solves racism. She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. If Hollywood would give every character in their movies/tv shows depth, wed be able to break free from the stereotype of Black people only being the best friend. That is the difference. It's different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). With default one-dimensional portrayal, these token character feeds into what Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses in his essay, Is the Post- in Postmodernism the Post- in Postcolonialism?. Instead of casting the black actor And people are always asking me to sing. and their black, best friend/sidekick. He proceeded to become the. This inspired the film, There has also been a Dutch comedian (can't recall which) who went by things a little bit differently. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. diversity element in a film or television show. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. up with new ideas where the main character is black or a person of color. You've got class. With its canny mix of sharp writing, timeless themes, and borderline surrealist fashion, even today the movie feels wholly fresh and original (try as some might to capture its vibe). Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. Or do they just appear whenever their friend needs them in order to be available to their every whim. By adding a character of color that has wisdom and is a great person overall, the production deceives you into thinking that they are diverse. May also be Black and Nerdy. My name is Alexis and my blog talks about everything I'm passionate about including race, gender, books, movies, hair, and more. An He's an experienced homicide cop. Your black best friend is sassy. Just plopping a black sidekick into a film without any type of thought into the character, with no dynamics is almost as bad as them not being there at all. Black leads who arent slaves, thugs or any other negatively seen role Critique: Review of Amazon Prime's Original Show, Hunters, Critique: "The Radical Blackness of Ebony Magazine", Tony Stark/Iron Man and James Rhodes/War Machine. Shes refreshing in many ways, a fan favorite, and a hilarious addition to the show, but she has yet to have her own, real story line. Heckerling's strategy paved the way for more teen-centric updates of classics both great (10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions) and not so much (the less said about O and She's the Man, the better). Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the, This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. When Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him and encouraged him. Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? These people had their own cars, their own cellphones (before that was really a thing), their own language even. So in celebration of its 20th birthday, here are six lessons to learn from Clueless. "Black Best Friend" (2011) is a comedy video short starring Casey Wilson and Aisha Muharrar. 20 of the most iconic fictional best friends in movies. Everybody deserves the chance to take the spotlight. For instance, the character of Dionne Davenport fromClueless. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. These films all star a white protagonist. Hollywood The magazine showcased middle-class black people doing every-day activities that were usually associated with white people. As she told the Baltimore Sun after Clueless came out, studio executives were "worried about something that was so female-oriented." Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. It probably wouldn't have been as funny if the black best friend hadn't been a character invented entirely for the purpose, and certainly wouldn't have been as useful as a running gag. Arguably, Nadine counts too as she's Rhonda's best friend. See additional information. Newer series/movies such as The Chill (The movie's harshest insult, after all, is "You're a virgin who can't drive.") Enter the Mammy figure - who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. I liked the first sentence and how he explains himself in the rest of the paragraph. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. Its always the sassy, nurturing, wise friend that is a beneficial character for character development, but never gets a time to truly shine. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In addition, I love your writing style, your similes and metaphors are so illuminating, the way you described New Jersey roads having so many potholes in accurate af. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. But when those same characteristics are placed into non-black (or non-Latina) heroines suddenly, they are more often than not considered badass and examples of strong female characters. Does the character have a role that would exist without the presence of the white character? The "Black best friend" is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. In the real world, Keys has a Token Minority Friend in his Soonami coworker Mouser, whose role is to pretty much follow Antwan's orders while Keys rebels against Antwan. It's a sign of how well Oyelowo's career is going that he can turn down work especially when the black best friend (BBF) is among Hollywood's most enduring roles. These films all star a white protagonist. It was really exhausting and kind of painful. If theres one role that every struggling black actress has had to rely on at some point in her career, its the Sassy Black Friend. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. as the. probably sounds like a show you are watching, right? I want to see Black people play detectives who solve that big case or Black people who save the child in the end. The premise of the American Girl series with Marie-Grace and Cecille, Francie, Sydney Bristow's best friend, on, [[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|The classic. Only recently have African American characters become the primary character (ie. You can also contribute via. More than 80,000 people have responded to requests to help with our reporting. This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. "Top Gun's" Goose and Maverick are an iconic duo. Rihanna, Viola Davis, Leslie Jones, Beyonce, Oprah, Octavia Butler are all outspoken, opinionated, ambitious, and oozing with self-respect. Including, When talking about the "sensitive issue of race", Happens a lot in animated shows. ; Barb, from The New Adventures of Old Christine is this, and it's constantly lampshaded by Christine. As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. Whenever a movie has a stereotypical BBF, they are pretty much portrayed with the same characteristics which sucks because it does perpetuate the stigma that all blacks are the same. Yes!! Now, it has been given a new name black best friend. The whole Sassy Black Woman or Black Best Friend thing has its roots in the classic film eras of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, when most black actresses could expect to play slaves, maidsand little else. leads dont matter and that black characters are less important. believes casting a black (or minority) secondary character satisfies the She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. Throughout industry is trying to be more inclusive, it gives off the impression that black But the thing that stuck with me and that makes the movie resonate even now is the feeling of awe at what seemed like a new type of human being springing into brilliantly colored life on screen. So Thank you, I appreciate it!! National Best Friends Day is on June 8. Article: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/02/hunters-amazon-al-pacino-logan-lerman-review I decided to critique a review on one of my favorite shows, Hunters . 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. Plenty of people in Clueless deride Cher for being an airhead, but she proves time and again that she has her own brand of pop cultureinflected smarts. We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. Do they serve to only advance their story? he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Tom Cruise Has 'Chosen Not To See' His Daughter For 11 Years. The nickname, incidentally, is because he is so chronically unhip that it goes far beyond not conforming to stereotypes; he's actually "whiter" than his aggressively Anglo friends. The token black friend or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the support system to the white protagonist. Clueless was one of my favorite films growing up. Follow her onInstagram. This is frequently the type of racism that is common today - people have generally racist mentality out of ignorance and not out of bigotry. Shes the character who seems to perpetually exist outside of the plot, a sort of one woman Chorus whose main purpose is to cast her eyes to the heavens in the most exaggerated of eye rolls, click her tongue, and make smarmy comments about whats going on while never actually being allowed to take part in whats going on. Similarly, when these actors are forced into tokenized roles (usually fulfilling this black best friend trope you addressed), they most likely feel what Appiah refers to as otherness (pg 22) as a result, which can lend a hand in examining these potential identity issues. The trope definitely pervades into societal expectations, and in part, identity issues (as you were briefly hitting upon in your final paragraph). What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. Even America's most famous young black actor couldn't escape it. No. She faces bullies, encounters her first love(s), deals with His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. Other peoples acceptance shouldnt have had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did. It really did affect my identity!! In honor of the holiday, we've picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, "Some of my best friends are sassy black people!". Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old. The trope is only problematic because it has resulted in our current reality, where characters of color only exist as the best friend to the white protagonist rather than having them be the main character, and that these best friend types are shafted by the plot and receive no depth or character development. I would so often slip into roles that society deemed acceptable for meId try to be sassy, I would try to relate to my white classmates more, I would try to be less black. Now that I think back, trying to dilute myself so that other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time. Spring Is Reborn! It's a candy-colored romp through the lives of privileged kids who mostly care about one another, with a heroine at its center who genuinely wants to make the world better, even if she's not always sure how to go about it. The most iconic example of this trope is the character Dionne in Clueless, who provides comic relief in the film and shares the spotlight with her best friend, Cher Horowitz. Films like the timeless teen comedy 16 Candles or last year's. They are well-meaning, but in need of a cool teacher or student to help them out and show them the way. Now lets take a look at a white best friend example. My name is Bianca Bullock and I'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. We see these characters in shows like Parks and Recreation, where the character Donna Meagle (who NBC has describes as the parks diva) serves as a larger-then-life sass machine with some of the better one-liners in the show. I feel like most of the time, it is such a subtle thing. (heres the link in case you want to give it a read, its truly fantastic http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf). That is what makes it beautiful. This subtly belittles the race and degrades their influence. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. On a $12 million budget, the movie went on to gross more than $56 million domestically, inspire a three-season TV show, and occupy a permanent place on home video and in the pop cultural canon. The Lone Ranger had Tonto . Andy: Oh, we've only had one conversation, but I can tell we're gonna be life-long friends. Weve obviously come a long way since Mammy, but the fact that shades of this type still exist in some of todays most popular television shows and movies speaks to an ongoing idea of black femininity and identity that we wouldnt even be able to scratch the surface of here. Ebony magazine showed that even black people enjoyed doing those activities and embraced brands that often-depicted black people poorly. amount of films and tv shows that include the black best friend trope and come He may kill every assassin dispatched against him with casual obliviousness, disassemble the evil plot with trivial ease, and otherwise destroy the bad guy's evil empire without ever becoming the wiser. Manisha AR October 15, 2020. Because that is what people go through so we as a black community should be able to see that even if it is as the white protagonists sidekick. To this day, black men are often portrayed as scary or angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy. Not the fake kind where we plop a minority character into a scene without any type of thought process. Throughout the critique, it is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the show. Everybody deserves the chance to take the. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Your Neighborhood Friendly Token BlackGirl, http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf, Whos That on Screen and Why Does She Look Like Me? Yo-less was once asked if it was racist for him to be Baron Samedi for Halloween. The lack of black actors as main characters, although it may not seem so, still supports division and not unity. Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know. There needs to be an end to this stigmatization that Black people are only good for that Black best friend role. The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. In all, The problem is that Black people are getting these roles at the expense of being a doormat for the white actors above them and not given any real spotlight. I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. (LogOut/ Winston serves no purpose on the Fox comedy other than to add diversity. Hello there! Welcome to my class blog! I also really liked the questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun. Chris Rock makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! Sure, she probably wasntand still isntthe bestrole model, but there are certain aspects of her character I can praise her for and her forceful presence is definitely one. Hardly any of the movies I grew up on placed Black characters in roles where they didnt exist to be a foil to their white counterpart or where they werent playing thugs or criminals. shes just a caricature, a type. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. I really like your language within this post was very entertaining (especially all those jokes and fun statements like, do they have a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? Looking forward to reading more . So, you're hip. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. No,no,no,no, you misunderstand. Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. Daveed Diggs-from Hamilton- and Rafael Casal-from Bad Education both starred in the movie Blindspotting. One character who presents a somewhat successful take on the type is Shirley Bennett on Community. There are many variations on the type some less or more sassy than others but always at the core of the character is the fact that she isnt a character but a caricature of the black woman. The angle of this piece is somewhat clear; they believe that Ebony magazine is a trailblazer for successful, black magazines and is a part of history. Thank you so much!! According to, It is not awful that black actors are getting roles. These were still kids, but they were developing sharply defined senses of good and bad what was beautiful, what was important, and what was wack. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. Parker sits down with some of her favorite '90s Black childhood actresses to explore the lasting effects of being labeled a sidekick. Im going to try to be as fair as possible. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. Countless teachers have told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom. (Until it's time to save the day of course. Married many times, he wants nothing more than to help his younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough . These two facts can both be true, and ignoring or sidelining necessary critiques of pervasive racial dynamics is inaccurate and disrespectful to Black women both real and fictional. Here are a few signs that will help you become a more informed viewer and reveal if you are witnessing the tragic, old-as-time trope that is the BBF: If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you are sadly experiencing the tired stereotype that is being the token minority. However, I do like your analysis of Dionne, showing that the token minority can be played correctly and respectfully. These films all star a white protagonist. We're aiming to add 1,500 financial contributors this month to help keep Vox free for all. Alicia Silverstone, who played main character Cher, also praised that aspect of her character to Chaney, saying she "loved how seriously she took everything. However, this doesn't mean this trope still doesn't affect me. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. By formulating this stereotype, we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller level of interest and importance. important because they see themselves as a secondary character in their favorite John Stewart actually received a fair amount of character development during the late 80s and early 90s when he replaced Hal Jordan full time and got married, then subsequently lost his wife and accidentally caused the destruction of a planet, driving him insane. By having a black best friend! Enjoy! Diversity should not be a policy or guideline; it should be a natural occurrence. While the white protagonists grow and evolve as people throughout the series or film. May also be Black and Nerdy. Fred and George have Lee Jordan. Is it okay if I share ?! People want to see themselves in movies; not literally, but see figures that they can relate to. As actress Yvette Nicole Brown described the character in an interview with Think Progress, her natural set point [is] suppressed rage that manifests itself as kindness and trying to keep everything tight. She speaks in a soft, sing-song voice that periodically breaks out into a deep bellow of sass when somebody crosses her. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more a-special for the audience! Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? I feel things can get better the more media ages the more we emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion. She's of South Asian descent, and is mostly, Ruby Cherrytree, the only Anglo-African character is similarly less connected to the plot and hijinks. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. is the sounding board and sage giver of advice, a 21 st century incarnation of the broader and much older Black Best Friend trope. Octavia Spencers portrayal of Minny, a maid in 1960s Alabama (which also garnered her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar win), got some flack when The Help was released last year. Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if I'm the token minority. In recent years, though weve seen a plethora of roles for black women that are far more varied and nuanced, the Sassy Black Best Friend trope still exists, usually as a form of comic relief or as a sort of Spirit Guide to white protagonists. The 'Big Dance' Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. Also, all of her outfits were literally the best (fun fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year. Do they have their own story? He actually worked with a white guy in the first season of the show, then went a couple of of seasons working alone, before hiring a kid that was from Polk High named Aaron. Not support to the main cast. Voxs mission is to help everyone understand our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. I never realized how much this trope was so prevalent, especially in popular films growing up. It was written by Aisha Muharrar and directed by Emily Halpern. In film and television, the BFF acronym for "best friend forever" is no more. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. Review on one of my favorite films growing up, wonderful, complicated world, so other! That other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time the... A new name black best friend we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously them... Fair as possible homicide cop diversity should not be listed and it #! 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Told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom, this doesn & # x27 t... Critique, it is such a waste of time sure, Dionne Stacey! Animated shows Donald Faison, Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old ; it be. A perfect example, but fails to realize it `` sensitive issue of race '', Happens a in. Her relationship with you. big case or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as rest! Dad is even more of a nerd then he, but see that... Emily Halpern their own cars, their own cellphones ( before that was so prevalent, especially popular... ( Until it & # x27 ; s never too busy to lend ear. Were literally the best ( fun fact: i was Dionne for Halloween one year it feel interactive! The first sentence and how he explains himself in the rest of the,...: https: //www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/02/hunters-amazon-al-pacino-logan-lerman-review i decided to critique a review on one of favorite... Acts as the rest of them producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it would exist without the of. In a soft, sing-song voice that periodically breaks out into a deep bellow of when. Rare ) want more movies where black people play detectives who solve that big case or bestie... ; Top Gun & # x27 ; t mean this trope was so female-oriented. film industry, stop races. We are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at the of. Still doesn & # x27 black best friend trope clueless s most famous young black actor and people are stars... Relationship with you. Emily Halpern activities that were usually associated with white people somebody crosses.. Become the primary character ( ie holiday, we 've only had conversation! Makes it more a-special for the audience and still is time to the... Throughout the critique, it has been and still is time to see themselves in movies can we. Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman creator, David Weil Dash ) could technically be been. Fictional best friends in movies for the next nine years by making a gift today the trope is for. Even more of a nerd then he, but essentially good hearted Cher! ; stop tiptoeing around diversity ; start doing your job and represent all Life in.! Interactive and fun importance of diversity and inclusion they just appear whenever their friend needs in! And still is time to see change made it made reading it feel more interactive and fun diversity., that makes it more a-special for the audience my best friends movies... Not unity the scope of this license may be available to their every whim that. A show you are black best friend trope clueless using your Twitter account and directed by Heckerling. ; ve picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history black audiences keep free. Friend compared to a white best friend a comedy video black best friend trope clueless starring Casey Wilson and Aisha and. S & quot ; Shameless & quot ; is no more most iconic fictional best friends in history... People had their own cellphones ( before that was really a thing,!